Moldova hopes to increase its wine export to China as Moldovan wine has already entered the Chinese market, Moldovan ambassador to China Iacob Timciuc said Tuesday evening.

 

Timciuc made the remarks at a reception celebrating the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Moldova.

 

 

Moldova is a leading grape producer and winery in eastern Europe with an annual production of 120 million to 150 million bottles of wine.

 

"Bilateral economic and trade cooperation is increasing steadily in recent years, and we hope to expand our wine trade in the future," Timciuc said.

 

Addressing the reception, Chen Haosu, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), said China and Moldova have witnessed a sound development of bilateral ties since the two countries forged diplomatic ties.

 

"Many Chinese know Moldova produces excellent wine and the Moldovan wine cellar is also world-famous," Chen said.

 

"I hope our friendship can develop like the wine, becoming more and more mellow as time goes by," he said.

 

Also on Tuesday, President Hu Jintao and his Moldovan counterpart Vladimir Voronin sent congratulatory messages to mark the 15th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

 

Both leaders hailed the headway the two countries have made in the past 15 years, and they agreed to step up cooperation and exchanges to push China-Moldova relations to higher levels.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2007)